Artificial neural network (ANN)s have been applied to solve a variety of
problems related to the coastal and ocean areas over a period of last one and a
half decades. Most of these studies have involved estimation or forecasting of
environmental parameters, structural loads and responses. The aim in such
studies were to carry out a cause-effect modeling, temporal or spatial mapping,
and property integration and resolution. ANN models have been generally found
to outperform the traditional empirical, statistical or numerical models to a
smaller or larger extent. There are however certain grey areas where the
modeling and its usefulness needs to be improved. This paper takes a stock of
all such past works and summarizes author’s experience in working with ANNs for
the benefit of future researchers.